When welding or performing other hot-work operations, especially in an offshore environment, it is typically necessary to perform such operations in an isolated enclosure. Such enclosures are sealed to enable a positive pressure to be maintained within, thereby preventing the entry of flammable and/or hazardous gasses, and protecting occupants from inclement weather or other undesirable exterior conditions. Vents and/or blowers are used to transport gasses produced and/or heated by welding or other operations from within the enclosure to the outside, and to flow fresh air into the enclosure, thereby preventing the accumulation of harmful gasses and maintaining a comfortable temperature and working environment within. Normally, the intake vent and/or blower provides air into the enclosure at a rate that exceeds that at which air within the enclosure is evacuated (e.g., a 2:1 ratio), such that the positive pressure within the enclosure is maintained.
Conventional enclosures include rigid panels that are time consuming and difficult to transport and assemble on-site. Alternative enclosures can include inflatable structures and/or flexible structures made from lightweight panels. Typically, a flexible enclosure usable for hot-work operations or similar undertakings includes a series of panels having a portion of a zipper on each edge that must be aligned with a corresponding portion of a zipper along the edge of an adjacent panel to attach the panels together. To prevent exposure of a zipper on the interior of the enclosure to the hot-work environment within, a flap can be used to cover the zipper using Velcro™ or a similar hook-and-loop fastening medium, or other means of attachment. While transport and erection of such a flexible enclosure may be more efficient than many conventional alternatives, alignment, mating, and covering of numerous zippers remains a tedious and time consuming undertaking.
Additionally, flexible enclosures require at least two types of panels to enable mating portions of zippers to be paired and engaged. A lack of interchangeability between panels can often become a hindrance if a panel or zipper is damaged and/or ripped, and a specific type of replacement panel must be located. Additionally, use of zippers is often undesirable due to the propensity of zippers to become caught or damaged when subjected to excessive force or extreme environments. An individual falling into the wall of an enclosure or otherwise forcefully contacting the wall may cause one or more zippers to become damaged or partially unfastened, mitigating the ability of the enclosure to maintain a positive pressure within. When rapid exit from an enclosure is desired for safety reasons, manipulation of a zipper that is covered by a Velcro™ flap or similar fastening medium can be dangerously time consuming and unreliable. Further, if a zipper becomes damaged, the entire engagement between mating panels can be compromised, and on-site repair and/or replacement of a zipper requires tools uncommon to a hot-work environment.
As such, a need exists for systems and methods of attachment usable to form enclosures capable of securely maintaining positive pressure quickly and efficiently, without requiring tedious installation steps such as the mating and alignment of zippers.
A need also exists for systems and methods of attachment usable to form securely sealed enclosures that are far less likely to become unfastened and/or damaged than conventional alternatives.
A further need exists for systems and methods of attachment that can include use of uniform, interchangeable panels that can be mated with one another, avoiding the difficulties associated with production, storage, and installation of multiple types of panels.
Embodiments usable within the scope of the present disclosure meet these needs.